Apparatus for regulating the mixture of gases



Jan. 24,1928.

T. A. PEEBLES APPARATUS FOR REGULATING THE MIXTURE 0F GASES Filed Dec.24. 1924 all Y O l II'lllllllllllll t I ////l l/ I, l/ I PATENT OFFICE.

THOMAS A. PEEBLES, OF PITTSBURGH, PENNSYLVANIA.

APPARATUS FOR BEGULATING THE MIXTURE OI GASES- Applicatlon filedDecember 24, 1924. Serial No. 757,958.

' The invention described herein relates to certain improvements inmechanism for ensuring a suflicient supply of air for the combustion ofgases in a furnace. Gasesfor heating purposes are obtained from cokingovens, blast furnaces, roducers, etc. As is well known to those s illedin the art, the pressure of'gases from these-sources will vary fromtime, to time and frequently the change of pressure will be large andoccur suddenly, and means must be provided for adjusting the air supplyin accordance with such changes of pressure of the gas. For purposes ofdescrlption, the normal supply pressure of the gas may be considere asour pounds and the pressure of the air for combustion as about twoinches water column or aboutone and one-half to two ounces. The type ofmechanism in general use for controlling the admixture of gas and airfor combustion, when the difference between am and gas is not great,consists of I chine above described, t

two inverted cups having their open ends immersed in a liquid i. e.,water or oil, in a tank, the cups being suspended from the ends of alever so that the movement of one cup will cause an opposite movement ofthe other. The lever is adapted to control the operation of mechanismforregulatin the flow of the The areas 0 tional to the normal ressure ofair and gas on the bells so thatt e pressure in one hell willcounterbalance -that in the other and their relative positions will notchange exce t on a change of pressure in. one of the be ls. Such aconstruction cannot be em ployed where the gas has a pressure greatly inexcess of that of the air, as if sat a ressure considerably above that othe air e introduced into the as cup of the mal ie water within the willbe forcedout and the gas escape hence when using high gas pressureprovision must be made for the formation of liquid column outside of thecup of sufiicient height to counterbalance a gas pressure a littlegreater than the maximum pressure of the gas. If the pressure of gas isfour pounds and the cup immersed in water or oil, the cup must be madeof such a length that when gas at four pounds is admitted to the cup thecolumn of liquid dueto difference between the levels of the water 'oroil .in and outside of the cup will be sufiicient to counterbalance thegas pressure. In other depth of immersion being dependent on the gas orair. the closed ends 0 the .bells are inversely proporthan the pressureof the air in the words, when water or oil is employed to seal the cup,the latter must have such a length and be immersed to such a depth thatby the pressure of the gas in the on a. I!v

water or oil column about nine feet in height will be formed outside ofthe cup in order to prevent the escape of gas from the cup.

Many objections have been encountered in the manufacture and use of anapparatus 66 embodying the features above described and the object ofthe invention described herein is to providefor counterbalancing twodiifcrin pressures by liquid columns approximate y e ual in height andconsists in im- 7 mersing t e cups in liquids difierin in specificgravity proportional to the ifl'erenc'e in pressure of the air and as.The invention is hereinafter more ful y described and 7 claimed. In theaccompanying drawings Figure 1 1s a partial sectional view of a re latorcon-.

structed in accordance with one orm of this invention and Fi 2 is adiagrammatic view showing the regu ator operatively arranged with gasand air supply pipes.

In the practice of the invention, an inverted cup or bell 1 is immersedfor a suitable distance in a liquid, as oil or water, the

pressure of the air admitted to the interior of the cup or hell througha nozzle 2. This bell is suspended from one end of a lever 8 and fromthe opposite end of said lever is' suspended a bell or inverted cup 4,the parts ends of the bells are inversely proportioned 08 to therespective normal pressures carried in these bells. It will be readilyunderstood that if the bells or cups were immersed, an equal distanceinto the same liquid, or two li %uids having approximately the same spe-01 c gravity and the gas admitted into the eater ll 1, the liquid in thehell 4 would be forced out hell 4' at a pressure substantially allowingthe gas to escape. In machines of this type, movements of the bells asthe pressure changes, should be equal and comparatively small, and itwould be impracticable to make the bell 4 of sufiicient length as topermit of its immersion such a distance as to prevent the liquid beingforced out of the bell when the pressure of gas is greater -merse thanthat of the air. In order to prevent the blowin out of the liquid asabove stated, the bel 4 in which the higher pressure is maintained isimmersed in a liquid having a hi her specific gravity than that of theliqul in which the air bell is immersed. If the liquid for the gas bellhas a s ecific gravity greater than that of the other iquid 1n the ratioor the pressures in the air and gas bells, the displacement of the twoliquids y the air and gas will form columns of substantially the sameheight.

As for example, if the bell 1 be immersed in oil and the pressure of airin the bell is two or three ounces, thebell 4 in which a normal gaspressure of four pounds is maintained the liquid in which the hell 4 isimshould have a specific gravity greater than that of the other liquidproportional to the relative pressure of the air and gas, so that twocolumns of a liquid will be normally substantially equal. In theembodiment of the invention set forth herein, the air bell is immersedin either oil or water which do not differ greatly in specific gravity,and the gas bell 4 is immersed 1n mercury, the specific gravity of whichhas approximately the same relation ,to that of the water or oil asthetwo pressures in the bells.

In the construction shown herein which has been found desirable, thehell or inverted cup is located at one end of a tank 7 containing eitheroil or water, while the chamber 5 containing mercury, as arranged at theopposite end of thetank, the lever 3 from which the bells are suspended,is secured to a beam arranged transversely of the tank and pivotallysupported about mid way of its length. As previously stated, the areasof the closed ends of the respective balls are nearly proportional tothe pressures normally maintained therein so that the bells will beapproximately in alinement.

The chamber 5 is made of such. a length and so arranged within. the tankthat its opgn upper end will project far enough, 9. ve the normal levelof the oil or water in the tank," that the displacement of the water oroil in the hell 1 will not raise the water a in the tank above the upperend of the chamber. It is preferred that the chamber 5 and the nozzle 6should be integrally connected at their lower ends. The gas pipe 8 isconnected by suitable means to the lower end of the nozzle whichprojects upwardly in the chamber a substantial distance above themaximum level attained bythe mercury, by reason of its displacement fromthe bell.

As the changes in pressure ofthe gas are considerable and occursuddenly, provision should be made for sudden and extreme movements ofthe hell 4. Suitable means to that end consist of an inverted cup orbell 9 enclosing the chamber 5 and movable with i seem movements of thebells, the bell 9 is provi ed with a et cook 10 whereby the flow of airinto and from the hell 9 can be regulated, thereby insuring gradualmovements of the bells. In order to effectively transmit the movementsof the bells to means controlling the flow of air, the lever 3 isconnected to a motor mechanism preferably constructed as shown wherebincremental movements of the air control ing mechanism is ensured.

While any suitable form or construction of mechanism may be employed forconnecting the lever 3 to mechanisms controlling the flow of gas and airto the point of mixing, it is preferred to employ the construction shownherein. 7

The regulating mechanism herein illustrated for shifting the valves inthe fluid lines for the purpose of varying the pressure of one or theother, or both, of said fluids may be replaced b any suitable regulatingmechanism capa le of responding to the movements of a lever such as thelever 3. Such a regulating a paratus has been illustrated and describedy me in my Patent No. 1,338,956 of May 4, 1920, and consequently, I haveavoided anything but a more or less general description, in thisapplication, since it will be understood that the regulator functions insubstantially the same way as the one disclosed inthe patent andcontrols the valve or similar mechanism in the manner disclosed by thepatent.

The lever 3 is connected bya rod*11 to an -arm 12 pivotally supported at13. On this arm ispivotally mounted a bell crank lever having an arm 14connected to the valve stem 15 of the pilot valve mechanism 16 while theother arm 17 of the bell crank lever is connected by a link 18 to aswinging post 19. On a change of pressure in either of the bells 1 or 4,the arm 12 will be shifted up or down, carrying with it the bell cranklever whereby the motion will be transmitted through the stem 15 to themovable memberof the valve mechanism 16. This valve mechanism isconnected in a suitable manner to opposite ends of the cylinder 20. Bythe admission of fluid pressure the piston of said cylinder will bemoved up or down and as such piston is mechanism controlling the flow ofgas or on the respective bells.

' of each seal being air and thelatter will be shifted towards open orclosed position. In order to limit the movement of the frame 22 acompensating mechanism is employed. This compensating mechanism consistsof the swing ing post 19 which is connected as hereinbefore described,by ;'a link 18 to the bell crank lever, and. has pivoted thereto anangularlg'y arranged bar 23. This bar is adaptedto slide along a shoe 24secured to the frame 12. In practice this bar has been adjusted at anangle to the axis of the cylinder dependent upon the incrementalmovements desired to be imparted to the piston and frame. As the framemoves upward, the shoe will slide along the angularly arranged bar andthereby shift the swinging post to the right or left. By the movement ofthis post, the bell crank lever will be correspondingly shifted and thevalve mechanism in the pilot valve will be moved to a reverse position,i. e., towards closed position, from that imparted to it by the movementof the bells.

\Vhile the invention has been described in connection with the formationof a combustible mixture of gas and air, it will be understood that theapparatus can be employed in forming a mixture or any two gaseouselements. i

I claim herein as my invention:

1. Apparatus for regulating the delivery of one fluid in response torelative variations between the pressure of that and another fluidmaintained at a substantially different pressure, comprising a pivotedlever, inverted bells secured to said lever on opposite sides of thepivot point thereof, connections for admitting one fluid pressure to thein-' terior of one bell'and the other fluid pressure to the interior ofthe other bell, said bells being so proportioned as to eflective areaexposed to the fluid pressure therein contained that their efiectiveareas are approximately inversely proportional to the pressures of the.two fluid pressures acting on the respective bells, a liquid seal forthe bell. to which the lower fluid pressure is delivered, and a liqu dseal for the other bell. the liquids of 'saidseals being respec,.

tively such that their specific gravities are approximately proportionalto the pressures of the respective fluid, and means actuated by thetilting of said lever for controlling the pressureof one of said fluids.

2. Apparatus for regulating the pressure of a fluid. comprising twocounteracting inverted bells, each exposed to a separate fluid underpressure. the effective areas of said bells being approximatelyinversely proportional to the pressures of the flu ds acting a separateliquid seal of each bell, the liquid such that the specific gravities ofthe liquids of the seals of the for the lower edge projecting into theli larger bell, and having respectivebells are approximately directlyproportional to the flui pressures acting on the respective bells, andmeans actuated by k the movement of said bells in response to a avariation in one or the other fluid pressure for controlling thevariation of pressure of one of said fluids. v

3. Apparatus for regulating the pressure.

comprising two counteracting inverted bells, a separate liquid seal foreach bell, and one hell being substantially smaller than the other, aninverted bell inclosin the smaller, moving with both said bells, an

quid of the seal of the a restricted port formed therein above level ofsaid liquid, and means actuated by the movement of said bells forcontrolling the pressure of the fluid delivered to one of the bells.

4. Apparatus for regulating the pressure of a fluid, comprising twocounteracting inverted bells, a separate liquid for sealing the edge ofeach bell, one bell being substantially smaller than the other, a thirdbell of substantially the same size as the lar er of said bells andhaving its ed e sealed %y the sealing liquid of the larger ell, andhaving an achustable port formed therein above the level of the sealingliquid, a pivoted lever on which all of said bells are mounted, andmeans actuated by said lever for controlling the pressure of the fluiddelivered to one of said bells.

5. Apparatus for regulating the delivery of one of the components of acombustible mixture of gas and air 'where the gas is maintained at apressure substantially higher than the air, which comprises twocounteracting, connected, inverted bells, each projecting into aseparate liquid formin a 1i uid seal, the specific gravity of saidliqmds being approximately directly means for introducing air under gasunder pressure into the bell sealed by the heavier of the two liquids,and means responsive to the movement of the bells occasioned byavariation in the pressure 0 the gas or air for controlling the deliveryof one of the two fluids at the point of their mixture.

6. Apparatus for regulating the delivery of i one of the components of acombustible mixture of gas and air where the gaseous fluids constitutingsaid mixture are maintalned at substantially diflerent'pressures, whichcomprises two -counteracting, connected, inverted bells, each projectinginto a separate liquid forming a liquid seal for the edge of theassociated bell,

proportional to the pressures of the componentsof the combustiblemixture, means or the specific gravities of I, said liquids beingsubstantially directly nee-mu introducing into the bell sealed by thelighter of the two liquids a fluid ressure corresponding to the pressureof t e lowpressure component, means for introducing into the other hell:1 pressure corresponding to the pressure of the high-pressurecomponent, t inversely pro therein norma e effective areas of said bellsbemg ortional to the pressures y contained, and means actuated by themovement of the bells in re- 10 sponse to variations in the pressurestherein contained for controlling the delivery of one of said componentsat the point of m xture.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand. i

moms A. PEEBLES.

